Repair-tool for wire fences



No. (4,563. Patented Nov. 22, I898.

J. H. MAJOR.

REPAIR TOOL FOR WIRE FENCES.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 1898.!

(No Model.)

m wanton m: Nonms P ErsRs cc. PHOTD-UYHO WASNFNGTON, n. c.

Fries.

PATENT JOHN H. MAJOR, OF BELLEVUE, TEXAS.

REPAIR-TOOL FOR WIRE FENCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,563, dated November 22, 1898. Application filed April 18, 1898. Serial No. 678,032. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. MAJOR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bellevue, in the county of Clay and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Repair-Tools for Wire Fences; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in wire-fence tools, and more particularly to that class of repair-tools of which the patent to Lewis W. Orton, No. 587,228, granted July 27, 1897, may be taken as a type; and the object is to simplify the construction and increase the utility and general efficiency of the tool.

To these ends the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the device, as will be hereinafter explained, and particularly specified in the claim.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved repair-tool for wire-fence work. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing one manner of using the tool.

1 represents a light crowbar formed with the square shank 2, terminating in the chiselpoint 3, and 4 denotes the handle, which in the present instance a is octagonal in crosssection and has a gradual taper from the shank to its outer end.

5 represents a collar or thimble encompassing the handle, and when in use is rigidly secured to the handle about ten or twelve inches from its outer end by means of a thumbscrew 6, although in lieu of a screw, a key, wedge, or any other suitable device may be employed for this purpose.

7 denotes a curved lip or jaw formed integral with the thimble and extending parallel with the handle of the crowbar, so as to leave sufficient space between the handle and the jaw to receive the fence-wire.

8 represents a socket-Wren ch formed with the head 9, which is provided with a transverse rectangular orifice 10 to receive the shank 2 of the crowbar, the shank being slightly tapered toward its pointed end, so that the head 9 will snugly encompass it and prevent the accidental displacement of the socket-wrench 8 when in use. One end of this wrench terminates in a chisel-point 11, and between the head 9 and this point is formed a prong or claw 12 for grasping the fence-wire Where said wrench is used without the crowbar.

Referring to Fig. 2, 13 denotes the fencepost, and 14 the fence-wire. 15 represents a temporary post set up to one side of the fencepost and braced by a guy-Wire 16, and 17 denotes a nail driven in the temporary post to support the outer end of the crowbar l. The free end of the fence-wire is now inserted between the crowbar and the jaw on the thimble, and by means of the socket-wrench 8 the crowbar is converted into a Windlass to draw the fence-wire sufficiently taut to be stapled to the post 13, thus enabling one man to complete the entire operation. To accomplish this result, the head 9 of the socket-wrench, which is provided with the rectangular orifice 10, is slipped over the rectangular shank 2 of the crowbar 1, and the socket-wrench may then be manipulated to convert the crowbar into a Windlass so long as it is connected with the fence-wire through the collar or thimble 5, near one end thereof, and rests upon the nail 17, projecting from the temporary post 15.

In some instances-as, for example, in traveling over a long line of wire fencing-it is not always convenient to carry the crowbar along, and for that reason I will now explain how the repair-work can be accomplished by the use of the socket-wrench Sand a suitable stick which is inserted in the orifice in the head to form ahand-lever for rotating the Wrench when used as a Windlass for tightening or taking up the slack in the fence-wire. The wrench is placed across the fence-post in the same position as the crowbar in Fig. 2 and the fence-wire inserted under the prong or claw, and by means of the stick or billet of wood above described the wrench is rotated on its axis until sufficient tension has been applied to the fence-wire, which is then stapled to the post, as in the first instance.

It will be observed that one end of the wrench 8 is formed with a socket 18 to receive a wooden handle when greater leverage is desired, or for the purpose of supportinga spool while running off thewire, or for tamping around fence-posts and the like, and this handle may be removably secured in said socket 18 by means of a screw or nail driven in the hole 19, communicating With the socket.

Various other uses for this tool will readily suggest themselves to the practical fence-repairer without detailing them here.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s-- The herein-described combination-tool for repairing wire fences, comprising the crowbar formed with the square shank 2 terminating in the chisel-point 3, at one end, the handle tapered from said shank to its outer end, the collar or thimble 5 provided with the lip 7 and encompassing said tapered han- JOHN H. MAJOR; Witnesses:

JOHN S. ALEXANDER, "WARREN II. BROWN. 

